If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Thought I had it all figured out but now a snafu! I have a 3 frame nuc coming; found out that the nuc I have ordered are on small cell but deep frames. I want to use all mediums so am curious what the best method will be to get this nuc onto all medium frames; preferrably by the end of this summer?

I do have a deep box, frames, sc foundation, etc. I can start them in if necessary. Thought about putting them in it with medium frames to the sides with spacers to fill in the space beneath them until the brood is moved to the medium frames. Is this feasible? Any insight appreciated!

Lew, how about setting the nuc on top of a medium box and using filler strips to close it up. They will have to traverse the medium for entry and should begin to work it as they outgrow the nuc. Try foundationless frames and they should draw small cell in it. You could cut out and tie in the deep stuff after they are established in the medium if they are still laying in it.

Thought about that as that's basically what I'm doing trying to get the feral hive out of the "green box" they're in. They took up residence in a plastic box that I have now set on top of a medium full of foundation; the green box is small enough to cover with standard empty hive bodies & they have a cover (telescoping) on top forcing them over the foundation to come & go. Set this up about 2 weeks ago; lots of bees & green box looks crowded with comb but so far no action on the foundation; just walking across it. They're going thru almost 2 quarts of 1:1 on "flyable" days.

You can do any of several things. You decide what appeals to you. You can just put them all in a deep box with the rest filled out with medium frames and work the deeps to the outside eventually as they are capped. Then when you can get them out (because they are filled with honey or are empty) you can put all the frames in a deep and just cut the excess off of the bottom.

You can build a box as a spacer to fill the excess space of the medium frames in a deep to one side and the deep frames on the other side and put them all in a deep.

You can just keep the nuc on top of the medium box and let them overflow into the medium and just keep moving the nuc up (with a board on the side to cover the gap of course) until it's either honey or it's empty.

The point of all mediums is to kill the weight problem, no? The deep will be heavy only if it's filled with honey. If you mess right away, you'll set them back. I'd establish them in the deep and go from there with mediums. Eventually the queen will move up into the supers, or when things are ripping along, put her up there over a queen excluder. The brood nest will move and the lower brood will hatch out. Honey will be stored on top (of the brood supers). Then send the small cell drawn comb to me. I'm doing 1 deep and 2 mediums.